The Same Fate Awaits All Sins Chapter 65

Final Part – 06

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The weather in Xia County was cooler than in Yuchuan. Even at midday, the sun didn't feel scorching. As they wandered around, they unknowingly ended up on a street lined with food stalls. Seeing Lu Zheng hesitating, Gu Yanta decisively grabbed him and dragged him away.

Not far ahead was a large supermarket. Gu Yanta headed straight inside.

"What do you want to eat, your husband will cook for you." Gu Yanta said as he picked out seasonings, "Don't force yourself!"

"Alright..." For once, Lu Zheng didn't object to the term "husband." Of course, it was also possible that he had simply forgotten. "We have plenty of time today, so it's worth considering."

Before long, they returned to the dormitory, carrying large and small bags. Gu Yanta swiftly prepared three dishes and a soup. Lu Zheng had already grown used to simply sitting and waiting for his meals. Thinking about it now, if Gu Yanta wasn't in his life, he might really... struggle to adjust.

Gu Yanta ladled a bowl of snow fungus soup for Lu Zheng, then sat down and picked up his chopsticks.

"Do you think the person we're meeting tonight really has insider information that even the police can't get their hands on?" Gu Yanta asked with some concern.

"I think he probably does, it's just a matter of whether he'll reveal it to us or not." Lu Zheng drank a spoonful of the soup. The taste was quite good, so he scooped up another.

"Do you think he will reveal it?" Gu Yanta asked.

"Anyone who can sit in his position isn't easy to deal with, and there's no way he'd reveal everything just because of some old business ties with my dad..." Lu Zheng said. "That's why we'll need to be prepared, we have to offer him something in exchange if we want the information we're after."

"I see." Gu Yanta nodded. "But what exactly can we offer him?"

"My brother has a real estate development project in Yuchuan, and Uncle Chen has always wanted to get involved, but my brother has never given him a definite answer..." Lu Zheng said. "But there's no way my brother would actually hand over the cooperation rights just for this. He knows I don't care about the family business, so I can't say for sure, unless..."

"If we don't offer him enough in exchange, he might just throw us some insignificant leads, which would be a waste of time," Gu Yanta frowned. "But we can't use the business deal as bait either. After all, solving the case is our duty, and it has nothing to do with your family's business, we can't let your family suffer any financial losses because of this."

Lu Zheng nodded.

"Alright, stop worrying about it. Just tell me everything you know about this guy, and I'll figure something out when the time comes!" Gu Yanta said, placing a piece of food into Lu Zheng's bowl. "Come on, eat up. After that, get some rest. We got up too early this morning, and you didn't sleep well. Just look at your face..."

"Don't nag me like an old mom, I look fine!" Lu Zheng grumbled between bites. "I... gained... ten pounds... recently!"

"Hahaha..." Gu Yanta burst out laughing. "It's good to gain weight! You were too skinny before! I didn't dare to use too much force..."

Lu Zheng pinched the bit of fat on his stomach. "No way, I need to start working out... Look at you, you still have six-pack abs, and I'm about to turn into a one-pack!"

"You just don't exercise enough..." Gu Yanta smirked mischievously. "You should do more, hmm... bedroom workouts!"

"Get lost!" Lu Zheng gasped and turned red. "Not that kind of exercise!"

"Oh? So in your eyes, some workouts are more noble than others?" Gu Yanta teased.

"That's not..." Lu Zheng's face turned so red it looked like it might start dripping blood. Damn it! Having fair skin and a thin face really had its downsides!

When Gu Yanta saw Lu Zheng's face, he felt he had achieved his goal. "Alright, alright, I'll stop messing with you! I'll let you off! Look at you... You're already an old man, and you're still this shy!"

"Who's an old man like you? I'm still young!" Lu Zheng huffed. "Unlike you, already an old man in your thirties!"

"Good! You've learned to attack me now, huh?" Gu Yanta kicked Lu Zheng lightly under the table.

Lu Zheng had just been about to kick back when a thought struck him. Instead, he suddenly leaned in and planted a loud smack of a kiss on Gu Yanta's cheek.

Caught off guard by his sweetheart's sudden "attack," even Gu Yanta, thick-skinned as he was, couldn't stop the flush that spread across his face, and all his blood surged straight to a certain part of his body...

"Lu Xiaozheng, being naughty in broad daylight, are you?" Gu Yanta set down his chopsticks, looking like he was about to take things further.

"I was wrong..." Lu Zheng uttered a plea for forgiveness, hurriedly burying his face in his rice bowl.

"Hmm?" Gu Yanta raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, hey... don't... it's the middle of the day!"

In the blink of an eye, evening arrived. Lu Zheng had slept soundly. This was partly because he hadn't rested well the night before, and partly because the steady rhythm of a certain someone's breath and heartbeat always allowed him to fall asleep peacefully.

Although the single bed was only a metre wide, fortunately, both of them were tall and lean, so it didn't feel too cramped.

When Lu Zheng opened his eyes, Gu Yanta had already prepared dinner.

"Come eat!" Gu Yanta called out.

Lu Zheng smoothed down his ruffled hair and dragged his feet over to the table, sitting down. "At this rate, I'm guessing I've put on more than ten pounds..."

"Alright, alright..." Gu Yanta placed a bowl of rice into Lu Zheng's hands. "Once we're back, I'll take you to the gym to lift some weights! Then we'll do some extra exercise at home, those ten pounds will be gone in a week!"

"......" Lu Zheng was speechless.

"Haha! Hurry up and eat! We still have work to do after this!" Gu Yanta laughed.

Chen Qinglong had arranged to meet Lu Zheng at a secluded teahouse. Following the navigation instructions, the two of them took several twists and turns before finally finding the entrance to the neighbourhood. If one didn't look closely, they'd never have noticed such an elegant venue hidden within an ordinary residential neighbourhood. This was a place Chen Qinglong reserved exclusively for entertaining VIP guests, ensuring both privacy and security.

The moment they stepped inside, they were greeted by an atmosphere of traditional charm. The first thing that caught their eyes was an intricately crafted rock garden in the foyer, surrounded by small bridges and flowing water, creating a scene full of poetic elegance. A few koi fish swam leisurely in the pond, adding to the comfortable and cosy ambience.

The two turned into the adjacent stairwell, where two rows of ornately carved bannisters flanked the staircase. The floor tiles, designed to resemble blooming lotus flowers with every step, led their gaze upward to a ceiling adorned with intricate wooden beams and painted carvings, evoking the grandeur of an ancient imperial palace.

"I didn't expect this local tyrant to have such good taste!" Gu Yanta remarked in admiration.

"Yeah, Uncle Chen made his fortune in real estate, but he's also a well-known antique collector in the circle," Lu Zheng replied.

Chen Qinglong was waiting in the innermost private room on the second floor. With a deep creak, the heavy, antique-style wooden door groaned open as Gu Yanta and Lu Zheng stepped inside.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: February 19, 2025 by Angel

Edited: February 26, 2025 by Angel